Two Columbus children visiting their father in Israel are reported to have been murdered by him.(Photo: google.com)

Police in Israel say a man confessed to stabbing to death his two children while they visited him from the United States.

An Israeli police spokesman says the father was arrested late Wednesday after turning himself in.

The children, 10-year-old Sara Levy and her 11-year-old brother, Yishai, lived with their mother in central Ohio and attended Columbus Torah Academy on the east side of Columbus.

Authorities didn’t release the name of the father, who lives in Ramla, Israel.

The Israeli police sopkesman says the man and his ex-wife had been involved in a complicated divorce and that police there had received complaints of violence against the father before the couple split up.

The Columbus Torah Academy released a statement saying the entire school â€œcommunity is heartbroken over the loss of our two precious students, Sara and Yishai Levy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the children’s grief-stricken mother. We ask that everyone respect the family’s privacy.â€

The childrenâ€™s mother is said to be comforted by local Jewish leaders.

The family was involved with the Beth Jacob Congregation on College Avenue. A representative of the synagogue tells WOSU that a funeral will be held for the children next week.

The Israeli website Ynet says the mother was an American immigrant who moved with the children to the U.S. after the divorce to be closer to her family.